1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a field of devices for polishing, buffing or sanding media discs, and in particular to an apparatus for reducing or removing scratches or substances from the surface of media discs using controlled parameters.
2. Description of the Related Art
Media discs like compact discs and video discs have been used for many years to store various forms of information, such as music, videos, pictures, games and data. Many computers, home entertainment systems, computer gaming apparatus and other data processing equipment have the ability to or depend on optical data storage discs to store programmed data and other electronic file information. Information is typically imbedded or imprinted on the optical surface of the disc and is read from the surface of the disc with laser means or other types of optical reading device.
While such discs are readily available and generally reliable, often a disc is handled or used in a way that causes scratches to be created unintentionally on the surface of the disc or an undesired substance to adhere to the surface of the disc, which cannot be easily removed. As such, the disc becomes unreadable by the reading device and the user is unable to retrieve the information stored on the disc. For the most part, the disc becomes unusable. With the present invention, the information on a disc damaged by surface scratches or surface materials can be recovered by polishing the surface of the disc, thus removing the scratches or materials in a quick and effective manner, thereby allowing an unimpeded path by the reading device to the data.
Disc polishing devices currently available on the market that are utilized by companies attempting to recover optical discs do not provide for controlled and uniform pressure application. Current methods for polishing discs are slow and require a great deal of human operator input to make sure that polishing pressure is uniformly applied. Special care must be taken by the operator to ensure that the pressure during polishing is not applied excessively causing removal or damage to the information imprinted on the surface of the disc. If polishing pressure is not uniform or if the disc is polished with too much pressure, the information stored upon the disc may be erased and the disc ruined.
The present invention allows a disc to be polished in such a way as to return the disc to its optimal functionality. This is accomplished with uniform application of the appropriate amount of pressure, uniformly applied across the surface of the disc in order to remove only the slightest amount of surface material on the disc and to bring the disc surface back to a smooth and precise finish in order for the information imprinted on the surface of the disc to be readable by a disc reading device.
Discs are often of significant value well worth the expense and time for an owner to have a disc polished in an attempt to recover the stored information, which would otherwise potentially be lost. A need exists for a large scale operation of the much needed service to the general public. The apparatus and method of the present invention allow multiple discs to be polished simultaneously thus increasing efficiency and productivity of the disc polishing process.